Improvement in street-railway switches



lIINITnnv STATES PATENT OFFIcnj JOHN E. PATTISON, OF NEW ORLEANS,LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN STREET-RAILWAY SWITCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,433, dated July 1,1873; application filed f May 5, 1873. A

v Fig. l 5 and Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of track andoscillating platform, showing side elevation of piston and leverarrangement on line .t w, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention is an improvement in the class of switches which areoperated by the weight of the draft animal applied to a tilting oroscillating platform; and it consists in the construction andarrangement of two hinged, connected, and reciprocally operatingplatforms, and other parts in combination therewith, as hereindescribed, and explicitly set forth in the claim.

In the drawing, A represents the casin g or frame-work of suitablematerial, which is laid on the ground below the track B, the boxes withoscillating platforms C of the length of a horse, placed sidewise andparallel to the track-rails. The bottoms of the boxes C are perforatedeqidistant from the central axis of the track, to admit the passage ofthe semicircular piston-rod,D. The ends of the pistonrod D bear on theoscillating platforms O, which may be pivoted to boxes B, or placedgloosely on the piston ends and guided by grooves to the boxes, orconnected to the piston ends in other suitable manner. The platforms Oreceive the weight of the draft animals of the ear, and act as apiston-head, forcing that piston end downward on which the weight of theanimal rests. The other platform is raised thereby by the opposite endof the piston-rod D, so that a recipro eating motion of the same isproduced as the platforms are alternately forced down by the horsespassing over the main or side track. The piston-rod D is of suitablematerial, and moves on a friction-roller, a, placed centrally to thepiston ends into a forked vertical post or standard, b, secured eithercentrally below the track, or on a semicircular metallic band, E, asindicated in the drawing.

Band E may be cast in one piece with the boxes B, or riveted to theouter sides of the same, and must be of sufficient strength to supportthe bearing of the semicircular piston D. The ends of the pistonprotrude slightly above the level of the roadway, lifting thereby theplatforms G. The action of the animals on the piston-rod D istransferred by suitable lever connection to the switch-rail, thevertical lever d being provided with a pronged head, c, applied iirmlyto piston D around post b, so that the prongs are equidistant fromforked standard b, and their distance corresponding to the length bywhich one piston end projects above the level of the track when theother is depressed. The fulcrum f of lever d may be attached to the vertical post b, or to a connecting bar or piece, g, of band E, the otherend being pivoted to the horizontal lever-rod d connected to switchrailF. 'lhe fulcrum f may be made adjustable to shorten and lengthen thelever, as required.

By the arrangement of a reciprocating piston-rod in connection with twonarrow platforms, the switch ca-n be adjusted from the main track to theside track, and vice versa,

as required, whether one or two animals are used for the car. lhe animalwhose weight is not required passes over the space between theplatforms.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The reciprocating semicircular piston D, incombination with the oscillating platforms C arranged in boxes B, andoperated by the weight of the draft animals, forked post I), orsupporting band E, switch-levers d d', and casing A, substantially asand for the purposes described.

2. The vertical lever d having pronged head c, applied to piston Daround post I), to limit motion of piston, substantially as specified.

3. Boxes B, having perforated bottoms for passage of piston-rod D andplatforms O, as described. Y L

The above specification of my invention signed by me.

JOHN E. PATTISON.

Witnesses:

l?. A. OoNAND, ANDREW HERO, Jr.

